Charles g



UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE. l

CHARLES G. BLOOMER, OF WICKFORI), RHODE ISLAND? yRIM FOR LOCKETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 17,137, ydated April 28, 1857;

November 15, 1859.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES G. BLooMER, of Wiekford,in the county of Washington and State ot'RhodeIsland, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Lockets and Similar Metallic Cases; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. I Lockets are formed of two halves or sides al ikein general form, connected by a hingeheld shut by a spring-catch and suspended by a metallic ring passed through a stud or Aknob so as to resemble in material form and finish an ordinary watch-case. Each side of the locket consists, generally, of two parts, a ringbase, commonly called the rim, and the plate that forms the outer case or backJ7 The lat- 1er is frequently replaced on one side of the locket by a glass similar to a watch-glass.

Prior to my invention the rim ot' each side of the locket was generally formed of two pieces, of th'e form represented at Figures A, B, and C. One of the pieces consisted of a solid ring, Fig. A, formed of wire of the section required, as' shown ata a, bent into aring form and soldered where the ends met. The other piece, Fig. B, which is commonly called Vthe field-piece,77 was formed of dat Wire, as shown in section at b b, also bent into a ring form, and soldered where the ends met. The two pieces were then soldered together, as represented at Fig. O. Locket-rims constructed in this manner are objectionable on account of the cost of manufacture and the weight of metal required. y

The invention which is the subject of this patent is designed to supersede locket-rims` formed by theabove method; and it consists in arim for a locket or similar metallic case formed of sheet metalin such manner that' the ring and field-piece7 consist of one piece of thin sheet metal so bent that the face of the field-piece within the locket and the ex` terior surface of the ring are formed by the sainesurface of the original sheet met-al.

My case-rim may be manufactured in various ways, but I prefer to manufacture it by stamping a planchet out of sheet metal land changing'its form wholly by the action of suitable dies. 'In manufacturing by this mode of Reissue o. 850, dated operation a planchet, such as is represented at Fig. l is stamped out ofthe sheet metal by a suitable punching-tool. It is then subjected to the action of a set of dies, which give it the shape represented at Fig. 2. It is then subjected to a second set of dies-such, for example, as those represented in section at Fig. 7- Which give it the form represented at Fig. 3, the action of the dies being such that the cylindrical part of Fig. 2 is turned inward to form the ilat ring i 0f Fig. 3, which/is now of the proper form for one side of the locket or case. lThe metal Ito form the rim for the other side of the locket is subjected to a third set of dies-such, for example, as those represented iu section at Fig. S-afterithas been acted upon by the rst two first sets above mentioned. This third set carry the bending process still further, indent the iiat field-piece t' of Fig. 3 and give it the proper shape to constitute the depressed field-piece, as shown at o, Fig.

4. After the rims are completed, the solid backs are fitted to them, two rims are connected by a hinge; the stud or knob and the ring are applied, so that the whole constitutes a case suchy as is represented open at Fig. 5 and closed at Fig. 6.

I have not deemed it necessary in/the foregoing description to describe in detail the construction of the dies and the mechanism by which they are operated, as these constitute no part of the invention which is the subjectmatter of this patent. Moreover, my invenf tion is not limited to the mode of forming the sheet metal into the shape required wholly by the action of dies, although I prefer this method to others both on account ofv the little manual labor required and the economy of the material. The latter becomes obvious when it is considered that the planchet punched out of Fig. 1 is of proper size and shape to form a loeket-rim of smaller size,l and the planchet punched from the latter forms the half cfa r .locket-stud or knob. So, also, the pieces ot' sheet metal which are left after punching out the series of planchets rst cut from the sheet are worked up into, rims or knobs until the only scraps remaining are triangular pieces ot' too small size to form parts for the smallestsized lockets. My invention is particularly Y adapted to cases of plated metal, for, as the face of the field-piece and the exterior of the 2 Y, Y aso rim areboih formed of the same surfaceof the sheet metal the latter requires vto he plated on one side only. Geserims made in this manner are also advantageous on account of their light Weight.

I do not limit myself to :my peeuliarity in the method of manufacturing my case-rims, but

What I claim es my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A rim for lookets and similar metallic cases,

formed of sheet metal in such manner that the face of the fleldpiece Within the case and the exteriorsurfaiee of the rim are both formed from the seme side or surface of the original sheet metal, and that the eld-piece and rim are of one piene of metal. Y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES G. BLOOMER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H; CoNGDoN, JAMES ELDVELL. 

